


The Anniversary

by freedomfightsback



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Light Angst, Memory Loss, Multi, One Shot, You could read it as Merle/Davenport I'm not gonna stop ya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 16:49:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13058124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freedomfightsback/pseuds/freedomfightsback
Summary: It's Davenport's birthday and Merle decides to invite himself. He loses a plant but gains something else.





	The Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> So this is something I've wanted to do for a little bit. This is Pre Wonderland. No one gives Davenport any love come on guys we're better than this. You can read this as romantic if you want to it's all about that good ol subtext. Lucretia knows more about Merle and his plant habits than anyone needs to. Comments and Kudos are appreciated. More notes at the end of the chapter.

Merle wasn't invited to the party and that might've been rude, but Merle didn't mind the obvious mistake and let himself in anyway.

The Bureau of Balance usually threw it's big get togethers on the quad, advertised months in advance with posters and loudspeaker announcements. There was none for this. Merle had actually happened upon it by accident, cutting through the cafeteria on his way to Fantasy Costco for a new spray bottle.

The small potted tea rose under his arm hadn't been doing so hot and needed a little TLC (Which his roommates insisted he did out of the house though Merle didn't understand why). The party seemed to be held in a corner, and consisted of so few people the only clue it was a celebration were the several balloons above the table. He meandered over, still holding his little friend.

"Hey you kids should keep it down," he called, and the group turned around. "Y'all don't wanna party yourselves out too early,"

The guests seemed to consist of Killian, Carey, a few long time members of the staff he knew, and weirdly enough Lucretia. The end of the table was crowded with several gifts, a small cake-- and in one of the chairs that was almost a booster seat but not quite (They were built for the smaller races and most found them a little demeaning) was Davenport. He had on one of his little suits as per usual but a plastic crown on his head proclaiming him 'B-DAY BOY'.

Killian and Carey made room for him at the table. "Hey mister cleric what's going on?" Carey pulled up one of the booster chairs which Merle climbed on happily.

"He's obviously crashing," Killian pointed out, obviously a little amused. Merle was glad he had that Dad quality about him or they might think he was annoying.

"I'm sure my invitation got lost in the mail," Merle promised, helping himself to a cup of soda at the table. He then leaned over to wave at Davenport. "Happy Birthday buddy, you don't mind me hanging out do ya?" Davenport was visibly smiling. He was holding a card he seemed to have been in the process of opening.

"Davenport!" He replied then went back to opening his card. Merle raised his solo cup like he was toasting to him.

"I'll take that as a yes," Merle had apparently caught the party just in time for gifts and cake which were, in his opinion, the best part of birthday parties. Or it was until eyes turned towards him once the gifts were unwrapped.

"Davenport?" The gnome inquired at the silence, looking up from his small hoard of presents. He had gotten a bow tie as a joint gift from some of the staff, a pair of cufflinks shaped like ducks from Carey and Killian, and oddly a ship in a bottle. That must've been from Lucretia who was sipping a solo cup full of wine (No one knew where she got it and no one was about to ask).

Merle fumbled. Really he could get away without giving a gift but he had already crashed and Davenport was a nice guy he really was, so maybe he had something on him-- His eyes drifted to the plant he had set on the table. No way. Not one of his babies. But people were looking away with the conclusion he was an old fart so absolutely not.

"Here," he proclaimed, sliding the tea rose over. Carey 'Oohed' and Davenport inspected it. "It needs a little water and sun but it's a pretty thing, maybe some talking to--" He was interrupted by Lucretia coughing into her cup. She cleared her throat, set it down and looked at Merle with a very serious and slightly worried face.

"So-- so that's one of YOUR plants," she asked and Merle raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah? So what?" Lucretia took a deep gulp of wine and pushed the glass away looking haunted.

"Nothing. I know absolutely nothing about your plants or your habits with them I'm sure it's not weird or anything." Merle paused for a moment seeing if she would say any other crazy stuff before he went on.

"Sooooo yeah I can show you how to make sure it stays healthy and all that good stuff," he promised. Davenport seemed delighted at his new gift, turning the pot and giving it a careful sniff. Merle mentally canceled his plans on having Magnus sneak into his room and steal the plant back, he was sure Davenport would take care of it.

Then came the candles, the singing, some decent Italian cream cake ("What is an Italian anyway?" Carey asked and Killian shrugged "I have no idea,") and the already slow going party petered out completely.

Davenport gave a yawn and gathered up all his presents into a bag with Lucretia's help while Merle talked to Carey and Killian at the other end of the table.

"So," he began with a question he had been wondering a long time. "What's Davenport's deal?" The two women shared a guilty look.

"I mean," Killian began, scratching the back of her neck, "No one really knows. The Director won't talk about it plus it's rude to ask so--"

"Witch kisses." Carey interrupted, and Killian made a noise of confusion.

"What?"

"Witch kisses man, if you piss off a witch and she kisses you and curses you she can fuck your shit," Carey whispered urgently. Killian guffawed and Carey hit her shoulder with no real force.

"I'm serious man, I had a cousin who got witch-kissed-cursed and he still thinks he's a giant kiwi fruit," she hissed and both Merle and Killian doubled over laughing. "IT'S TRUE AND NOT FUNNY," she hissed and Killian patted her shoulder.

"Sure hon."

Someone cleared their throat and the trio turned. Lucretia stood there in all her professional might and beside her, Davenport, holding his bag of gifts in one hand and cradling the potted plant in the other. He had taken off his birthday crown and that too was sitting in the bag.

"Merle I was wondering if you could go with Davenport and show him how to take care of your," she gave the rose a nauseous look. "....plant, back in his room." Davenport had fixed him with those big hazel eyes of his curiously. Merle smiled and wiped some cake crumbs out of his beard.

"Sure thing boss," he nodded and gestured for Davenport to lead the way. The gnome looked up at Lucretia, almost like a child asking permission. She smiled in a soft way, the same kind of smile she gave the boys after they had retrieved a relic or pulled a particularly funny shenanigan. She squeezed his shoulder and he stepped towards Merle shyly, and nodded his head in a certain direction.

"Davenport," he explained, then trotted off with Merle following at his side.

Lucretia watched them go, hand nervously drumming along her staff. She didn't invite the boys on purpose, didn't want to see them together or worse-- hurt Davenport's mind when it tried to connect things it couldn't. But if Merle was here already then, well. Davenport deserved a better present than a ship in a bottle.

***

Merle had absolutely no idea where he was. He got lost on the campus at the best of times, at the worst he walked into other people's sleeping quarters at three am and nearly got a magic missile to the face.

Davenport was a good guide, leading him through the halls astutely and stopping every now and then to check if he was still following. Wherever this room was it was deep in the base.

Eventually Davenport stopped outside two identical doors side by side, and went into the one on the right. Merle studied the other door for a second and must've flunked his investigation roll because he had no idea who it could belong to. He followed Davenport in.

Merle didn't know what to expect. It wasn't huge, that part seemed normal gnomes didn't need a lot of living space but the decor was something else. Davenport flicked on the lights, and it set a soft glow on his living space. A twin sized bed in the corner, a bookshelf filled with knickknacks and carefully kept tomes and yes- ships in bottles. There was a small pale work desk, filled with what looked like spreadsheets and schedules for the Bureau, and that was where Davenport carefully placed the flower.

"Nice place here buddy," Merle commented, looking around. "Lucretia set you up with some sweet digs."

"Davenport," Davenport agreed, placing his new ship in a bottle on his bookshelf next to several others. Merle went over to his bed and sat down on the bright red sheets, looking up at the ceiling while Davenport put his stuff away. For some reason it looked metal plated, like the back of a giant metal armadillo.

"You like boats?" He asked, picking up one of the throw pillows and noticing the little anchor pattern stitched into it. Davenport perked up, turning from hanging up his bow tie amongst what looked like a closet made entirely of suits.

"Davenport!" He chirped, walking back over to Merle.

"That's cool, I'm more of a plants guy myself," Merle conceded, moving over so Davenport could sit next to him on the bed. The gnome sat himself down and turned to face Merle, and Merle's eyesight must've been fading because he noticed lot of little details this close.

Gnomes and dwarves weren't so different. Someone who didn't know better might think they were all the same species, but side by side the unique things were noticeable. Dwarves were made for mining, hewn out of rock, heavy and sturdy (Though Merle was getting soft around the middle in his old age). Gnomes were lighter, a little more magical. Their ears were big and expressive, softer eyes, softer everything. If dwarves were badgers, tough and strong, gnomes were rabbits, quick and springy.

Merle felt like he had had a conversation about those differences, a long time ago--

( _Through layers of static._

_"I thought dwarves were master craftsmen," someone. Somewhere. Mockingly, holding something Merle had made._

_"I thought gnomes were supposed to be funny," he gave them a playful shove and they squawked and fell into the sand. Sand? It was sandy there he was sure._

_"I have a professional reputation to uphold," muffled, beneath sand. Merle sat down next to the muffled gnome, watching the sea. Pan that was a beautiful beach. "Besides that's a gnomish stereotype, think of all us unfunny gnomes that have to deal with people like you."_

_"Think of all of us untalented dwarves who have do deal with people like you," he returned and pulled his friend-- yes they were friends, out of the sand. His friend was laughing, and Merle was so happy to hear him relax, why did this gnome need to relax and why did Merle want it so bad? He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember he couldn't--_

_Swallowed up by white noise._ )

But no. He didn't know any gnomes. Not well. Maybe once but not now. Davenport was studying him curiously and then pointed to his desk. Oh, the tea rose.

"Right of course, you got a pen? I could write down some instructions," Davenport got up to retrieve a pad of sticky notes and a pen which Merle took and started to scribble.

"So a fine spritz of mist every other day, talk to it or else it gets moody and lonely-- roses are such drama queens, if any leaves start browning just go ahead and pick them off it's better for the plant anyway, make sure it's in direct--" he paused his list and looked around the room thoughtfully.

"Uh Davenport? You don't got any windows in here buddy," Merle pointed out and Davenport hummed, walking across the room.

"The rose needs sunlight so maybe you could move it somewhere," Merle was studying his list of requirements and chewing the borrowed pen. "Or I could hang onto it for you, I wouldn't mind--" just then the ceiling began to grumble, the lights flicked off and Merle dropped his pen.

The metal plates folded back to reveal the entire ceiling of Davenport's room: glass, and the spectacular view it showed. Davenport walked over from the switch and sat next to Merle again.

"Oh," he said softly and Davenport echoed his tone. There were so many stars, just a ridiculous amount of them, so many they illuminated both their faces and Merle felt something open up inside his chest.

He got like this sometimes. So did Magnus and Taako so it had to be normal. Something would set it off, a smell, a sight, the sensation of him laying down a card flat on a table, playing chess, the color red-- it tore open a hole inside him.

Sometimes there was panic, he feared something he didn't know what it was everywhere and he was so tired just leave him alone- Or there was joy, unexplainable, insurmountable, so familiar but he didn't know why he just loved it-

But there was always that feeling of absolute and total longing. He needed it like he needed air like nothing else mattered. On those nights he would find Magnus or Taako or they would find him and just _be_. They quelled it in a way nothing else could, filled the hole in his chest a little but something was still missing.

Now? It came on full force, tearing at his guts and those _stars_ he wanted those stars so badly he needed to be there he needed--

He looked over to Davenport who stared at the sky so much Lucretia had installed this just for him. It would let in light for the rose, light for Davenport.

"Do you feel it too?" He asked quietly, trembling. Davenport fixed him with hazel eyes ( _Gnomes have the best eyes, he remembers thinking once, a long time ago, where the stars live_ ) and whispered.

"All of it."

**Author's Note:**

> Pssst look up meaning of tea roses peace out KUDO ME!!!


End file.
